Google teams up with Coinbase and Ethereum Foundation to launch an open source AI payments protocol, integrating stablecoins to drive the next wave of machine-to-machine finance.
Google has unveiled an open source payments protocol designed to enable AI applications to send and receive money, including stablecoin transactions. The initiative highlights how open-source infrastructure is set to become a cornerstone in connecting AI and decentralised finance.
Developed in collaboration with Coinbase, the system ensures interoperability between Google and Coinbase’s payment platforms, with the Ethereum Foundation also consulted on the project. “The protocol was designed to support both existing payment rail capabilities as well as forthcoming capabilities such as stablecoins,” said James Tromans, Head of Web3 at Google Cloud. Coinbase engineer Erik Reppel added, “We’re all working to figure out how to make AI transmit value to each other.”
The protocol launch is backed by Salesforce, American Express and over 60 other companies. It builds on Google’s Agent2Agent Protocol, introduced in April, which already had the support of more than 50 technology partners including PayPal, SAP, Deloitte, McKinsey and PwC.
Industry leaders believe stablecoins will be central to the future of AI payments. Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz predicted that AI agents will become ‘the biggest user of stablecoins.’ The Ethereum Foundation similarly noted, “Autonomous agents are about to become Ethereum’s biggest power users.”
Stablecoins have recently gained regulatory momentum in the United States with the GENIUS Act. The Ethereum Foundation has also explored technical standards, such as pairing HTTP 402 with EIP-3009, to enable automated stablecoin transfers by AI agents.
By adopting an open source framework, Google’s new protocol offers a pathway for developers and enterprises to integrate AI-driven payments directly into their systems, potentially standardising machine-to-machine value exchange and placing stablecoins at the heart of the digital economy.
